Trombone.



R. MIDDLBTON.

TROMBONE. APPLIomIoN FILED MAB'. 19, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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TROMBONE.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.19, 1912,

Patented May 46, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOUIAPM C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

ROBERT MIDDLETON,

INSTRUMENT COMPANY, OF ELKI-IART, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF ELKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ELKI-IART MUSICAL OF INDIANA.

TROMBONE.

Specoation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6,1913.

Application led March 19, 1912. Serial No. 684,849.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MIDDLEfrON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trombones, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to locate the tuning device or slide in the slide part of the instrument, and to give the bell a gradual taper from end to end without any break or joint whereby I am enabled to secure correct intonation; and with this and minor objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and combination of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trombone embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the slide portion of the instrument and the tuning slide; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts moved by the adjusting 4 screw from the position shown in Fig. 3.

1 represents the bell of the instrument comprising a single tube from end to end and of gradual taper from end to end. In this connection, attention is called to the fact that there are no tuning facilities or devices in my bell to destroy the perfect taper of the bell, which taper is important for correct intonation in the bell.

2 represents the usual slide of a trombone and 3 the usual hand-hold extending between the legs 0f the slide. j

4 are extensions on the slide 2 over which the tuning slide is constructed to slide.

5 and 6 are the usual tubular extensions connected with the bell and mouth-piece of the instrument, the tube 6 carrying a bayonet joint coupling 7. 7 is a bridge-piece for said tubes.

8 and 9 are the tubes'of the tuning slide connected by the bridging piece 10 and adapted to slide on the extensions 4 of the slide, the tubes 5 and 6 being adapted to slide through the tubes o f the tuning slide as will be understood.

11 is a sleeve extending from the bridgepiece 10 between and parallel with the tubes 8 and 9 of the tuning slide, and' provided with an interior screw thread of suitable pitch, the lower end `of the sleeve 11 being shaped to conform to the perimeter of the hand-hold 3 in order to make a neat joint therewith while in Contact with the handhold.

12 is a' screw swiveled in the hand-hold 3 in any suitable manner and extending into the sleeve 11 where it intermeshes with the interior thread above referred to, whereby the tuning slide may be moved on the eX- tensions 4 toward or away from the handhold so that the instrument may be tuned without increasing the length of the slide 2 below the hand-hold 3. One leg of the slide 2 carries the female portion of the bayonet joint 7, whereby it may be locked against movement.

In the conventional trombone, the tuning facilities or devices are all in the bell of the instrument which not only makes it inconvenient to handle but destroys the perfect taper, so important for correct intonation, in the bell; In tuning such conventional instruments, it is necessary to rest it on the floor, perhaps the slides will drop out and possibly become damaged, besides which, the

tuning slides in the bell generally stick or buckle, or tilt. The change from high tov low pitch is made by substitut-ing the longer tuning slide in the end of the bell for the shorter one and this destroys the perfect taper of the bell, as the sliding part of the bell must necessarily be of straight tubing. By my invention, I mount the tuning slides on the extensions 4 of the slide and adjust them by means of the screw 12 without lengthening the slide beyond' the hand-hold 3. Of course, it will be understood that the high and low pitch tuning slides are readily attached to and detached from the eXtensions 4.

I claim In a tuning device for windV musical instruments, the combination with parallel tubes of the instrument and a tuning slide with'its ends slidably mounted in said tubes, of a bridge piece on the tuning slide, an elongated sleeve rigidly secured to and eX- tending from said bridge piece parallel with the tubes of the tuning slide and in the di-4 rection .of the parallel tubes of the instrument, said sleeve being provided with an interior screwl thread, a bridge piece eX- tending between the parallel tubes of the instrument having a transverse opening therethrough with a smooth bore, and an elongated screw threaded rod extending through and swiveled at one end in the said smooth bore opening, the screw threads of The foregoing specilication signed at Elktlie rod being constructed to intermesli With hart Indiana this 16th day of December, the interior threads of jche sleeve, and an 1911.

enlarged head integral With said rod and ROBERT MIDDLETN. positioned on the under side of the second In presence ofnamed bridge piece whereby the rod may be MYRoN W. HARTER,

revolved to move the tuning slide. CHAs. E. SoHRooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

